1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pallet on which goods are placed for cold storage or transportation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has long been known a pallet which is usually made of wood or metal, and on which goods are placed for cold storage or transportation in, for example, a refrigerator container which is loaded or unloaded by a forklift. The use of the known pallet has, however, given rise to a serious problem, i.e., during the handling or transportation of cold or frozen goods, they obtain a higher temperature by absorbing heat from the pallet and thereby become lower in quality.
In view of the above problem, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 61-37622 has proposed a pallet having a refrigerating power. It comprises a plurality of hollow deck boards made of aluminum, and held together at both ends by beams, and each containing a polyethylene bag which holds a refrigerant for keeping goods cold. The proposed pallet has, however, a number of drawbacks. As it is composed of a large number of parts, its fabrication calls for a great deal of time and labor and the pallet is, therefore, expensive. Moreover, it is not easy to fit the bag in intimate contact with the inner surface of the deck board, but a layer of air is very likely to form between the deck board and the bag and have an adverse effect on the conduction of heat therebetween and thereby the effective cooling of the goods by the refrigerant.